Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [288]
It’s pretty much accepted that Tilly was really placated with hard cash. Nevertheless, local poet Adam Hörber couldn’t resist turning the tale of the Meistertrunk into a play, which since 1881 has been performed every Whitsuntide (Pentecost), the seventh Sunday after Easter. It’s also re-enacted several times daily by the clock figures on the tourist office building.
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In the suburb of Detwang, about 2km north of the Altstadt by car (or a pleasant 3km walk along the Tauber River), you’ll find two camping grounds situated in an idyllic natural setting. Campingplatz Tauber-Idyll ( 3177; www.rothenburg.de/tauberidyll; Detwang 28) and Campingplatz Tauber-Romantik ( 6191; www.camping-tauberromantik.de; Detwang 39) both charge around €5.50 per person and €5 for a tent, and open Easter to late October.
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Eating
Rothenburg’s most obvious speciality is Schneeballen. Some 23 different types are produced at Diller’s Schneeballen ( 938 010; Hofbronnengasse 16), though a more limited range is available all over town.
Zur Höll ( 4229; Burggasse 8; dishes €6-18) This medieval wine tavern, with an appreciation for slow food, is in the town’s oldest original building, dating back to the year 900. The menu of regional specialities is limited but refined, though it’s the wine that people really come for.
Baumeisterhaus ( 947 00; Obere Schmiedgasse 3; mains €9-16) This traditional German inn is one of the town’s most atmospheric, and that’s saying something. The woody dining area is set around a beautiful vine-clad courtyard and bristles with old hunting relics. The daily menu has a wealth of fine traditional fare.
Klosterstüble ( 8890; Heringsbronnengasse 5; mains €11-18) One dining room is a cosy hunting lodge, the other a classy stone affair at this first-rate hotel-restaurant. The Italian mains, veal goulash, and Franconian Spätzle (noodles) are owner cooked and complemented by a good selection of Frankish wines. The rooms upstairs are of a similarly high standard.
Villa Mittermeier ( 945 40; Vorm Würzburger Tor; mains €18-28) The kitchen dynamos at this classy establishment serve top-notch Michelin-starred cuisine in five settings, including a black-and-white tiled ‘Temple’, an alfresco terrace and a barrel-shaped wine cellar. The artistic chefs rely on locally harvested produce, and the wine list (400-plus varieties) is probably Franconia’s best.
Also recommended:
Albig’s Quick Restaurant (Hafengasse 3; dishes €2-7) Central European fast food, Rothenburg style.
Bosporus Doner ( 934 716; Hafengasse 2; dishes €3-8) For delicious kebabs and Middle Eastern goodies.
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Entertainment
Kulturbrauerei ( 919 26; Nuschweg 2; 2-8pm Fri-Sun) Based in a historic old brewery with faux turrets, and staging anything and everything from cutting-edge art exhibits to jazz and indie pop concerts.
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Shopping
Käthe Wohlfahrt Weihnachtsdorf ( 4090; Herrngasse 1) With its mind-boggling assortment of Yuletide decorations and ornaments, this shop lets you celebrate Christmas every day of the year (to go with the snowballs). Many of the items are handcrafted with amazing skill and imagination, and prices are accordingly high.
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Getting There & Away
You can go anywhere by train from Rothenburg, as long as it’s Steinach. Change here for services to Würzburg (€11.30, one hour). Travel to and from Munich (from €35, three hours) can involve up to three different trains. The Europabus stops in the main bus park at the Hauptbahnhof and on the more central Schrannenplatz. The A7 runs right past town.
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